Janet Chihocky, JANSON Founder & CEO

Janet Chihocky is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of JANSON Communications. She is an advisor and strategist to military leaders and corporate executives within the defense and aerospace markets and a subject matter expert on topics such as organizational branding, marketing and strategic communications. Although Janet holds many titles, her most important and valued role continues to be a servant of Jesus Christ.

Janet takes the lead in strengthening an organization’s brand and portfolio of capabilities to help clients communicate their relevancy, generate new business, attract key stakeholders, and achieve cost reductions and improved management in communication programs that result in impactful outcomes for stakeholders.

Having launched her career in the late eighties with a global aerospace company (Orbital Sciences Corporation), Janet was heavily involved in the communications and publicity efforts for the roll-out and first several launches of the company’s air-launched space vehicle, Pegasus. In addition, she developed a domestic and international communications program for Orbital’s space systems and commercial space imaging business. Some of her other work includes high-profile organizations such as: Army Materiel Command (AMC), The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), HDT Technologies, Tooele Army Depot, PEO Soldier, CSC, Army Contracting Command (ACC), DRS, AM General, and many others. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a minor in Marketing from Strayer University.

As the Communications Practice Lead and Senior Communications Strategist, Ms. Ruggio successfully leads a diverse team in strategic planning, communications strategy, outreach and public relations across JANSON clients in the Army, Marine Corps and federal sectors. She is currently directing projects for our military and federal clients with focus in the areas of information technology and cybersecurity to advise these organizations in the development of a consistent and clear strategic vision, direction, roles and capabilities to synchronize efforts and build awareness among all stakeholders. Ms. Ruggio is also a member of the strategic planning teams of these clients to ensure their strategic plans, policy, governance and other guidance related to individual activities is aligned with mission goals and objectives.

Ms. Ruggio brings more than fifteen years of experience advising the Department of State, Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, and foreign governments on development and humanitarian assistance, communications, strategy and media. She has directly led integrated strategic communications teams across multiple DoD and select Federal clients.

Prior to joining JANSON, she spent more than five years in Iraq working on a number of strategic communications, media relations, information operations and governance projects. During this time, Ms. Ruggio provided media training to key U.S. and Iraq government officials, built media offices at the regional government level to promote transparency and accountability, worked to increase public participation and improve communication between local government and their constituents, and conducted media and outreach on behalf of the U.S. military. Ms. Ruggio is adept at addressing emerging and crisis issues as a result of her time overseas. Before working in Iraq, she worked in the Middle East and Washington D.C. focusing on development research, strategic planning, strategic communications, and advocacy for non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Throughout her career, Ms. Ruggio has worked to develop outreach and stakeholder engagement strategies and built effective public-private sector partnerships. She has also served as the Director of Communications and Outreach for a Middle East non-profit and as an Adjunct Professor at American University.

She earned a Master’s Degree in International Development and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law & Society from American University. Ms. Ruggio also holds a Professional Certificate in Management from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

David Reeths, Principal Analyst

David Reeths is Principal Analyst with JANSON Communications, providing market analysis, strategy, and marketing and communications support to US Army, other US government, and commercial clients. Mr. Reeths previously worked in London as the Director, Aerospace & Defense Consulting and in the US as a Product Manager for Jane’s. Prior to that, he was a Program Manager for Cubic for several software development programs for the DoD and is Defense Acquisition University trained Software Acquisition Program Manager. In addition, as a civilian contractor he has been a Strategic Planner in the Pentagon for HQ USAF, a Treaty Compliance and Counter-WMD Officer for Pacific Air Forces, a Joint Exercise Planning Officer for Pacific Fleet, and led the Warfighter IPT (responsible for end-user contact, requirements support, and marketing) for Joint Program Manager Information Systems, part of the Joint Program Executive Office, Chemical and Biological Defense. As an officer with the US Navy Reserve, his final assignment was leading the China Operational Intelligence Cell at what was then the Joint Intelligence Center – Pacific in Honolulu. He is a certified Product Marketing Manager, Scrum Master, and Scrum Product Owner and has a Mini-MBA from the University of St. Thomas. He earned a BA with honors from the University of Minnesota, a MS from Georgia Tech, and a MA from Indiana University, where he completed all the requirements for a PhD in Political Science/Institutional Economics, except the dissertation, under eventual Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom, before leaving his dissertation after 9/11 to provide fulltime support to the DoD in late 2001. He is currently a PhD student in Public Affairs/Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Rachel Phillips, Creative Director

Rachel Phillips serves as director of branding services and creative director for JANSON Communications, bringing more than 25 years of experience in brand and identity development, content strategy, print and digital design, and integrated marketing campaigns. She has extensive experience in all aspects of the creative process from client counsel to design strategy and implementation, and is grounded in a background of business and marketing. Rachel has deep experience in providing strategic direction and vision for communications across multiple content channels. She combines business and creative goals to produce integrated brand and content solutions.

As a branding expert, she has led branding and re-branding projects for SaferChoice, the EPA rebrand of its Design for the Environment label; as well as leading the re-brand of the National Apartment Association (NAA), SEPA (Smart Electric Power Association) and AMC (U.S. Army Materiel Command). She also led branding and design for the award-winning U.S. Department of Commerce’s Digital TV Converter Box Coupon Program. As a former Creative Director for Ketchum Digital, she led brand development projects for Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, two initiatives for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Human Trafficking campaigns, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ICD-10 initiative, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute among many others.

During her career, she has served as the lead creative director for visual design, brand experience, immersive experiences and content design for a wide range of clients including the U.S. Army, HHS, Hain Celestial, Zoetis, National Apartment Association, Look Good Feel Better, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), MasterCard, GlaxoSmithKline Oncology, The Clorox Company, Kraft Foods, and many others.